Rodney J. Crowell (born August 7, 1950) is a American country music singer/… Read Full Bio ↴Rodney J. Crowell (born August 7, 1950) is a American country music singer/songwriter who is considered to be part of both the alternative country and the mainstream country music camps. For three years he was part of Emmylou Harris' "Hot Band"; later he gained mainstream popularity as a solo performer with a series of critcally-claimed albums released during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Crowell was born in Houston, Texas to James Walter Crowell and Addie Cauzette Willoughby. A contemporary of Steve Earle and, like Earle, influenced by the (songwriting) greats Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt, Crowell played guitar and sang for three years in Emmylou Harris' "Hot Band".

He was married to Rosanne Cash (daughter of famous singer/guitarist Johnny Cash) from 1979 to 1992 and had a great influence on her career, producing most of her albums during that period. They collaborated on a number of duets, including 1988's "It's Such a Small World." Though Crowell and Cash are now divorced, they remain on friendly terms, performing together occasionally. Six years after the breakdown of his marriage to Rosanne he married Claudia Church.

Although best known as a songwriter and alternative country artist, Crowell enjoyed mainstream popularity during the late 1980s and early 1990s. His critically acclaimed album, 1988's Diamonds and Dirt, produced five No. 1 hits during a 17-month span in 1988 and 1989: "It's Such a Small World" (a duet with Cash), "I Couldn't Leave You If I Tried," "She's Crazy for Leaving," "After All This Time" and "Above and Beyond." His follow-up album, 1989's "Keys to the Highway," produced two top 5 hits in 1990, which were "Many a Long and Lonesome Highway" and "If Looks Could Kill."

As Crowell's popularity in mainstream country faded, he continued his prolific songwriting. In 2001 he released The Houston Kid on Sugar Hill Records. Many songs on the album were semi-autobiographical, and the album included a duet with Crowell's ex father-in-law Johnny Cash on "I Walk the Line (Revisited)". Initially, Cash was annoyed at Crowell changing the tune to his song, but he came to like the finished product. Crowell followed up this effort with Fate's Right Hand in 2003 and The Outsider in 2005. Crowell considers these three albums his finest work as a solo artist.

2004 saw the release of The Notorious Cherry Bombs, a reunion of The Notorious Cherry Bombs, a group that existed briefly in the 1970s with Rodney Crowell, Vince Gill, Tony Brown, and others. The future Keith Urban hit "Making Memories of Us" was included on this disc.

In 2005, Crowell served as producer for established Irish singer/songwriter Kieran Goss on the album Blue Sky Sunrise.

The Obscenity Prayer
Rodney Crowell Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Give to me my time and money
Give to me my milk and honey
Give to me my self respect
Golden chains around my neck

Give to me my super model
Corporate jet and champagne bottle
Get me out there on the town

Let me spread my wealth around

I could learn to love this life I lead
But just don't take away the things I need

I feel rosy in the pink
So just don't make me stop and think
All those dark thoughts in my head
Seem like better left unsaid

Give it to me
(Give it, give it, give it, give it)
Give it to me
(Give it, give it, give it, give it)
Give it to me
(Give it, give it, give it, give it)
(Give it, give it, give it, give it)

Give to me my latest fashion
Make my lover burn with passion
Give to me my charm and wit
Keep my body young and fit

Give to me my haute couture
Give the world a cancer cure
Serve my breakfast au frescoe
Let the wine and liquor flow

I can search for truth some other time
But right now I just wanna get what's mine

Let the gangsters rule the street
While teachers try to make ends meet
I despise all bleeding hearts
I don't patronize the arts

Give it to me
(Give it, give it, give it, give it)
Give it to me
(Give it, give it, give it, give it)
Give it to me
(Give it, give it, give it, give it)
Right now

I don't understand what it is you're trying to sell
Or what it is you're trying to tell me
You're tryin' to get me to show some compassion
Man, that's so outta fashion

Give to me my Aspen winter
Sorry 'bout the World Trade Center
I can't help the ones in need
I've got my own mouth to feed

Give to me my Playboy Channel
Killer weed and sheets of flannel
Lay me down upon my bed
With pleasant dreams to fill my head

Just look at what this world is coming to
And there ain't one damn thing that I can do

I don't have a leg to stand on
I don't have a net to land on
I don't have the base of power
I don't have the extra hour

Give it to me
(Give it, give it, give it, give it)
Give it to me
(Give it, give it, give it, give it)
Give it to me right now
(Give it, give it, give it, give it, give it, give it)

Give to me my tax cut outsource
Build me my own private golf course
The Dixie Chicks can kiss my ass
But I still need that backstage pass

Give to me my Nasdaq numbers
Intel shares and E-trade blunders
Soldiers to defend my freedom
And a script for Valium if I need em?

And give it to me
(Give it, give it, give it, give it)
Give it to me
(Give it, give it, give it, give it)

Give it to me right now
(Give it, give it, give it, give it)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Obscenity Prayer by Rodney Crowell are a commentary on the greedy, selfish nature of people in society today. The song begins with the singer asking for his time, money, milk, honey, and self-respect. These requests quickly escalate to him asking for golden chains, supermodels, corporate jets, and champagne bottles. He wants to spread his wealth around and live a life of luxury, but he doesn't want to lose the things he needs. He then goes on to ask for the latest fashion, charm, wit, and a body that is young and fit. He wants the world to serve him breakfast au frescoe, and for the wine and liquor to flow freely.

However, he doesn't care about other people or their needs. He despises bleeding hearts and doesn't patronize the arts. He believes that teachers should be making ends meet while gangsters rule the street. He doesn't have a leg to stand on or a net to land on, but he wants soldiers to defend his freedom and a script for Valium if he needs it. In the end, he wants tax cuts, his own private golf course, and a backstage pass. The song is a scathing critique of society's obsession with wealth and success, and the selfishness that often comes with it.

Line by Line Meaning

Give to me my time and money
Give me everything that I have worked for and earned

Give to me my milk and honey
Give me all the luxuries and pleasures that I desire

Give to me my self respect
Allow me to feel important and worthy, even if it means sacrificing others to maintain my position

Golden chains around my neck
I am willing to be enslaved by my own desires and possessions

Give to me my super model
Give me someone who is physically attractive to satisfy my selfish desires

Corporate jet and champagne bottle
I want the best that money can buy and the ability to go wherever I want, whenever I want

Get me out there on the town
Allow me to flaunt my wealth and power among others

Let me spread my wealth around
I am willing to be generous as long as it benefits me and makes me feel good about myself

I could learn to love this life I lead
I am happy with my way of life and what I have accomplished

But just don't take away the things I need
I am unwilling to give up anything in order to help others or make the world a better place

I feel rosy in the pink
I am comfortable and content with my current lifestyle and position of power

So just don't make me stop and think
I don't want to be reminded of the struggles of others or the negative impact of my actions

All those dark thoughts in my head
I have doubts and insecurities about my choices and actions

Seem like better left unsaid
I am unwilling to acknowledge or confront these thoughts and feelings

Give it to me
I want more of everything and I want it now

(Give it, give it, give it, give it)
This desire is all-consuming and unrelenting

Give to me my latest fashion
I need to constantly have the newest and most fashionable things to feel superior and confident

Make my lover burn with passion
I want to have control and power over others, even in intimate relationships

Give to me my charm and wit
I want to be well-liked and respected, but only for my own gain

Keep my body young and fit
I am obsessed with my physical appearance and will do anything to maintain it, even if it means sacrificing my health

Give to me my haute couture
I need to have the most expensive and exclusive designer clothing to show off my wealth and status

Give the world a cancer cure
I want to be seen as a philanthropist and someone who cares about making a difference, but only if it benefits me

Serve my breakfast au frescoe
I want the best of the best, even in mundane things like breakfast

Let the wine and liquor flow
I want to indulge in excess and not worry about the consequences

I can search for truth some other time
I am not interested in examining my own beliefs or changing my ways

But right now I just wanna get what's mine
I am selfish and focused only on my own desires and wants

Let the gangsters rule the street
I don't care about the safety of others or the negative impact of criminal activity as long as it doesn't affect me directly

While teachers try to make ends meet
I don't value education or those who work hard to provide it

I despise all bleeding hearts
I am against those who show compassion or seek to improve the lives of others, unless it benefits me

I don't patronize the arts
I have no interest in cultural or creative pursuits unless they are fashionable or provide me with something tangible

I don't understand what it is you're trying to sell
I am not interested in listening to anyone else or considering alternate points of view

Or what it is you're trying to tell me
My own wants and needs are more important than anything anyone else has to say

You're tryin' to get me to show some compassion
I am unwilling to help others or feel empathy for their struggles or hardships

Man, that's so outta fashion
Being kind or generous is not trendy or popular in my current worldview

Give to me my Aspen winter
I need to constantly seek out new experiences and pleasures, even if they are expensive or exclusive

Sorry 'bout the World Trade Center
I don't care about the victims of tragedy, as long as I am not directly affected

I can't help the ones in need
I am unwilling to use any of my resources or time to help others, even if they are in dire circumstances

I've got my own mouth to feed
My own needs and wants are more important than anyone else's

Give to me my Playboy Channel
I need constant stimulation and entertainment to distract me from my own dissatisfaction or discomfort

Killer weed and sheets of flannel
I am willing to indulge in dangerous and unhealthy behavior to escape reality or feel good about myself

Lay me down upon my bed
I am tired of the stress and pressure of my current lifestyle and need to escape into rest and relaxation

With pleasant dreams to fill my head
I need to avoid reality and pretend that everything is okay, even if it isn't

Just look at what this world is coming to
I am aware that the world is in a state of crisis or turmoil, but I am unwilling to do anything about it

And there ain't one damn thing that I can do
I am unwilling to take any action or make any changes to improve the world, even if it is within my power

I don't have a leg to stand on
I am powerless and unable to make any meaningful change or impact

I don't have a net to land on
I am unwilling to take any risks or make sacrifices to improve my own or others' lives

I don't have the base of power
I am not in a position of influence or authority to make any meaningful changes or improve the lives of others

I don't have the extra hour
I am unwilling to make any time or energy commitments to help others or make the world a better place

Give to me my tax cut outsource
I am willing to support policies that benefit the wealthy and powerful, even if it hurts others and contributes to inequality and injustice

Build me my own private golf course
I need to have my own exclusive and luxurious spaces to escape into and show off my wealth and status

The Dixie Chicks can kiss my ass
I am unwilling to tolerate any dissent or criticism, even from those who are peaceful or well-intentioned

But I still need that backstage pass
I want to have access to exclusive and prestigious events or environments, even if it means sacrificing my own values or beliefs

Give to me my Nasdaq numbers
I want to constantly monitor and increase my own wealth and financial power, even at the expense of others

Intel shares and E-trade blunders
I am willing to take risks and engage in dangerous or unethical behavior to increase my own financial gain

Soldiers to defend my freedom
I am willing to use the sacrifices and hard work of others to benefit myself, but am unwilling to contribute to their well-being or success

And a script for Valium if I need em?
I am willing to rely on drugs or other substances to escape reality or deal with my own anxiety or discomfort

Give it to me right now
I am impatient and demanding, and need to have what I want immediately and without any obstacles or resistance

(Give it, give it, give it, give it, give it, give it)
My desire is all-consuming and never satisfied

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CROWELL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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